Spice Grinder

Abstract

A grinder has a jar having a surface provided with a screwthread. A grinding cap has a lower part engageable over the surface of the jar and provided with a screwthread such that the lower part can be screwed onto the jar and an upper part rotatable on the lower part. Grinding formations on the parts are effective on relative rotation of the parts. A ramp projects radially from the jar surface toward the cap surface, and a generally angularly extending and radially elastically deflectable arm has an inner end fixed on the cap surface and an outer end spaced in a relaxed condition of the arm radially outward from the cap surface toward the jar surface. The arm is oriented to engage and have its outer end deflected radially toward the cap surface by the ramp on screwing of the lower part onto the jar.

I claim: 
     
       1. A grinder comprising:
 a vessel designed to hold a material to be ground and having a vessel surface centered on an axis and provided with a screwthread formation; and 
 a grinding cap having:
 a lower part engageable into or over the vessel surface and provided with a screwthread formation complementary to the formation of the vessel surface such that the lower part can be screwed to the vessel upon rotation of the lower part in relation to the vessel; 
 an upper part rotatable on the lower part; and 
 grinding formations on the upper and lower parts effective on relative rotation of the lower and upper parts to grind the material of the vessel; 
 
 a blocking system that blocks counter-rotation of the lower part in relation to the vessel, said blocking system comprising:
 a blocking formation; and 
 an elastically deflectable arm; 
 the blocking formation and the elastically deflectable arm being fixed upon and extending from respective different ones of radially spaced-apart surfaces comprised of a surface of the lower part of the cap and a surface of the vessel; 
 the elastically deflectable arm having a length extending between a surface-fixed end and a non-fixed outer end, the elastically deflectable arm being oriented to engage and have the outer end deflected by the blocking formation during screwing of the lower part of the cap onto the vessel. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The grinder defined in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the blocking formation has, relative to a rotation direction of the cap relative to the vessel on screwing the cap onto the vessel, a downstream shallow flank and an upstream steep flank, the outer end of the arm being directly angularly juxtaposed with the steep flank after passing over the blocking formation on screwing of the cap onto or into the vessel. 
 
     
     
       3. The grinder defined in  claim 2 , wherein:
 the outer end of the arm is flat and extends generally radially of the axis and parallel to the steep flank in a non-biased state of the arm but extends at a small acute angle to a radius from the axis on deflection by the blocking formation. 
 
     
     
       4. The grinder defined in  claim 2 , wherein:
 the arm is on the surface of the lower part of the cap and the blocking formation on the surface of the vessel. 
 
     
     
       5. The grinder defined in  claim 4 , wherein:
 the arm is unitarily formed with the lower part of the cap. 
 
     
     
       6. The grinder defined in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the vessel is made of glass having substantially no elasticity. 
 
     
     
       7. The grinder defined in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the length of the arm is greater than a width of the arm. 
 
     
     
       8. The grinder defined in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the arm is a first arm and the blocking formation is a first blocking formation; 
 the grinder further comprises a second, duplicate, elastically deflectable arm and a second, duplicate, blocking formation, each circumferentially spaced from the first arm and the first blocking formation, respectively. 
 
     
     
       9. A grinder comprising:
 a container designed to hold a material to be ground and having a screwthread formation extending around an axis of the container; and 
 a grinding cap comprising:
 a lower part designed to be fitted into or over the container and provided with a screwthread formation complementary to the formation of the container such that the lower part can be screwed to the container upon rotation of the lower part of the cap in relation to the container; 
 an upper part rotatable on the lower part; and 
 grinding formations on the upper and lower parts effective on relative rotation of the lower and upper parts to grind the material of the container; 
 
 a blocking formation projecting from a first surface and having a sliding surface and a blocking surface; 
 a radially elastically deflectable arm having an inner end fixed on a second surface; 
 the first surface is a surface of the container and the second surface is a surface of the lower part of the cap, or the first surface is a surface of the lower part of the cap and the second surface is a surface of the container; 
 the elastically deflectable arm having a length extending from the inner end to a non-fixed outer end; and 
 the arm being oriented such that, during rotation of the lower part of the cap in relation to the container, the outer end is elastically deflected by the sliding surface of the blocking formation in a direction away from the surface of the blocking formation and, during counter-rotation of the lower part of the cap in relation to the container, the outer end is blocked by the blocking surface of the blocking formation. 
 
     
     
       10. A grinder according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 the outer end of the arm includes a flat surface that extends generally radially of the axis and parallel to the blocking surface in a non-biased state of the arm, and extends at an acute angle in relation to a radius from the axis in the deflected state. 
 
     
     
       11. A grinder according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 the inner end of the arm is fixed to the surface of the lower part of the cap; and 
 the blocking formation projects from the portion of the container surface. 
 
     
     
       12. A grinder according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the arm is unitarily formed with the lower part of the cap. 
 
     
     
       13. A grinder according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 the container is made of glass having substantially no elasticity. 
 
     
     
       14. A grinder according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 the elastically deflectable arm has a length extending from the fixed end to the non-fixed outer end, the length of the arm being greater than a width of the arm. 
 
     
     
       15. A grinder according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 in relation to rotation of the cap to secure the lower part of the cap to the container, the non-fixed outer end of the arm is a trailing end of the arm, and in relation to counter-rotation of the cap, the non-fixed outer end of the arm is a leading end. 
 
     
     
       16. A grinder defined in  claim 9 , wherein:
 the arm is a first arm and the blocking formation is a first blocking formation; 
 the grinder further comprises a second, duplicate, elastically deflectable arm and a second, duplicate, blocking formation, each circumferentially spaced from the first arm and the first blocking formation, respectively. 
 
     
     
       17. A grinder defined in  claim 1 , wherein:
 in relation to rotation of the closure to secure the lower part of the cap to the vessel, the non-fixed outer end of the arm is a trailing end of the arm, and in relation to counter-rotation of the lower part of the cap, the outer end of the arm is a leading end.